Presented by Kristen OsgoodRegenerative Strategy Manager

About Stern Produce• Arizona’s largest produce distributor• Family owned/operated since 1917• PRO*ACT ‐ Founding member since 1994

o PRO*ACT family is more than 50 members strong (71 DCs)o Greener Fields Together

Stern’s FutureRebuilding a 100 year old company • New warehouse management tools, SOPs, recruiting, etc..

• Defined company culture• Defined community giving• Building sustainability programs and initiatives

• More community and stakeholder engagement

Small Farm Facts• 1935 US had 6.8 million farms…decline started 1970s, appx 2 million remain (2018, USDA)

• 88% of US farms are small family farms; 90% of farms in Arizona are family‐owned

• The projected median farm income for 2018 is negative $1,316 and the majority only surviving on off‐farm income

Arizona Fresh Together By supporting regional food systems, we can:• Support local and often family run farms.

• Help protect our health and the health of our communities. 

• Stimulate our local economy. 

Funding is available for those farms that need assistance for the audit program.

GFT Local Farms Criteria• The local farm is located within a 7‐hour drive from where the food is distributed.

• The farmer or farm family participates in the day‐to‐day and management of the farm and owns or leases its productive assets

• Local farms are required to be inspected annually by an approved third party food safety organization. 

Required Stern/PRO*ACT Supplier Compliance• All growers must adhere to Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs).• All distributors and processors must practice Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).

• All processors must have a functioning HACCP plan in place.• All suppliers must: 

o have a tested, traceability and recall program in place.o have a Food Defense Plan.o be in compliance with the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act

• All suppliers that handle allergens must have an Allergen Control Program.• Distributor Cold Chain Management

Above items are applicable based on specifics of each individual operation.

Application Process• Non GFT eligible farms/producers

o Stern’s Approved Supplier Form which includes food safety informationo Stern’s Vendor Set‐up Form which includes a W‐9o Hold Harmless agreemento A COI with Stern listed as the certificate holder (at least 1 million umbrella)o A copy of your third‐party food safety audit certificate

• GFT eligible farms o Local farm application http://www.greenerfieldstogether.org/local‐farms/applicationo High‐risk food safety questionnaireo W9o Indemnity agreemento COI with “PRO*ACT and all it’s Members” listed as the certificate holder

Jan Program Launch –17 Total Vendors

Current Program – 32 Total Vendors

8 Produce providers (Farms, Hydroponics, Greenhouses)1‐ GFT Farm

16 Produce providers (Farms, Hydroponics, Greenhouses)3 ‐ GFT Farms

3 Dairy providers (Milk and Cheese)

3 Dairy providers (Milk and Cheese)

1 Grass‐raised Beef provider

1 Grass‐raised Beef provider

1 Egg provider 1 Egg provider

3 Specialty Food (Seasoned salt, Pickles, Olives/Oil)

9 Specialty Food (Honey, Pickles, Olives/Oil, Bread, Coffee, Tortillas)

1 Whole‐food meat substitute

1 Whole‐food meat substitute 

Arizona Fresh Together 

Arizona Fresh Together 2017 Program Data• Local cases sold: 95,073 

• 64,478 eggs and dairy• 30,596 produce vs. 4687 in 2016

• Local economy spend: $1,863,733.65• Hired dedicated buyer

Arizona Fresh Together 

Arizona Fresh Together Program Details:• Keep as much as possible in 

stock (70‐75%)• Farms set their pricing• Farm planning and buying 

commitments• Local in the DOD program (11 

items/6 farms)• Local as commodity items 

(microgreens, butter lettuce, spring mix)

Future work:• One item project • Menu planning and ideation 

with customers Cont’d Farm planning and 

buying commitments• Sun Produce Cooperative 

growing for the DOD program• Logistics lanes

Arizona Fresh Together Challenges:• Inconsistent volumes and product 

availability• Lack of 3rd party food safety 

certified farms• High shrink/Low margins• Lack of customer demand• Transportation issues Product not ready for pick up Driver/Farmer incompatibilities

• Lack of sales focus/confidence• Operational rebuilding

Dollars Matter:

If each Arizona resident spent $20.00 of food directly from a local farm each month, local farms would earn $1.7 billion which is nearly half of current cash receipts (Meter, 2017). 

Our Roots

Mission + Core ValuesTo inspire healthier communities by connecting people to real food.

Our Food EthosScratch cooking, transparent sourcing, sustainability, locality

Partnering with soil farmersAnd putting boots on the ground to build the relationships

Finding the win-win-win across our value chain

Farmer Distributor Sg stores CustomerSoil

Efficiency

Transparency

Equity

Opportunities + Challenges

● Opportunities○ Spec flexibility○ Constant menu innovation○ Consistency○ Backup sourcing○ Consistent pricing○ Crop planning○ Regional cuisine

● Challenges○ Food safety○ Local freight○ Volume○ Forecasting○ Finding the win-win-win

A decade in the makingAnd we’re still learning every day...

Next Generation Organics

Vertical Integration-Seed Sourcing-Ranch Ownership-Fully Employed Ranches-Harvest Machine and Crews-LGMA Certified-Primus GFS Certified-Certified Organic

-Solar Powered Production Facility-Laser Optic Sorting-Chemical Dosage Systems-Form and Fill Equipment + Bagger-Metal Detection-Vacuum Cooler Tube-Full Fleet Control-Certified Organic, Primus GFS-Monterey Green Business

Creating Evangelist

-Customer’s Needs Focused-Custom Harvests-Custom Salad Blends

-Market Awareness-Protecting Our Label-Long Term Decision Making

Building Relationships

-CEO and COO Routine Visitation-Customer Service Reviews-Handshake Agreements-Integrity and Accountability

-Customer Loyalty-End User Feedback-Product Development-Supply Chain Understanding

We are Jayleaf!